1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a graphical user interface device for use in a monitor control system for a monitor control of a plant.
2. Description of the Background Art
For a monitor control of a large-scale plant, in general, information of sensors installed in equipments of the plant is collectively monitored by a central monitor-control panel.
In recent years, software implementation of the central monitor-control panel is promoted, and a display of a plant measurement value and a control of equipments in the central monitor-control panel are implemented by a graphical user interface, instead of a hardware indicator and a hardware switch which have been conventionally used. This can downsize a monitor control system and reduce an operation load imposed on an operator.
Normally, a monitor control service system in a monitor control system has at least one control operation worker and at least one operation supervisor. Each of the control operation worker and the operation supervisor is provided with a special plant monitor control input/output device. In performing a monitor control service, the operation supervisor and the control operation worker use their own input/output devices, and instructions, confirmations, and reports among them are made orally during the operation. In particular, in performing a periodic inspection of the plant and an operation concerning an accident, not only the instructions, the confirmations, and the reports are made orally, but also procedures described in a plant operation manual are checked and the operation is performed in accordance with the manual.
In a large-scale plant, ensuring the safety is a strong demand, and thus, as a general rule, an operator does not solely perform an operation but a plurality of operators perform the operation while confirming the contents of the operation with one another.
In the large-scale plant, the number of items for the monitor control is large, which increases the number of pages of a monitor control screen and the amount of information per page. Accordingly, in a case where an operator actually performs a periodic inspection of the plant, and the like, the operator has to operate an input/output device and the like while searching the plant operation manual describing a lot of display items for a display item necessary for a current operation. Thus, in a case of performing the periodic inspection and the like, a high cognitive load is imposed on the operator.
In a technique proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1994-27287, display items to be operated for the operation of a plant in an abnormal state or in a case of an accident are preliminarily recorded in a database, and an image displaying the display item to be displayed by a system is automatically prepared based on data given from the plant. This device enables an operator to easily perform a current operation.
In order that the operator can properly perform operations in the operation of the large-scale plant mentioned above, it is desirable that the operator correctly understand both of the purpose and a method of the operation described in the plant operation manual. In the device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1994-27287, although the display item to be operated is displayed, the purpose of the operation is not displayed, and the signification of information of an observed data index value is not displayed. Therefore, in any case, a problem rises that the operator has to perform the operation while separately checking the plant operation manual in order to understand them.